The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-11

pf0Ie8EfQU4l
Her role was small. in dramatic Elaine and
she was . wonder for cool self-posssssor. The
other was Mise Elsie de Wolfe, q swell amateur
regular stage. She PLAYED in the school for
Sc andal," At Charity matinee. She is not
beauty, and her talent Is not remarkable, ouD
Potter now goes into spell OF one night towns
where she may across much disenchant<
ment In ths way of curious experiences with
audiences. about the funniest % such things
happened this week at Poole's Theat@r. which
is q cheap and rude East-side house. though be-
lsneing to the estate of she late Mira Alexander
Paris" Frank c. TannehIl was the dreadful
assassin He started up the stairs to the room OF
his victim. cresk warned him 20 be more
cautious. He pulled of his boots IN order 70
mount in stocking feet This point had been
thrillingly impressive to ordinary audiences,
but here the gallery was crowded by
cautiously removed his boots sang ont 80 my
poor ccrns" Other tormentors cauehe Instant
ly at the opportunity and as he tip-tosh einrerly
up the stairs, cries of Trim em down." File
'em down." 20 my bunion" and 'sWhe-e-sw,
ACCOMPANIED every step. Such an uprosr OF
merriment was never before aroused by minis
tragedy. Tannehill will hereafter do his Bowery
numbering with his boots on.
The death of Nellie Cos, which had more para
graphs in the newspapers this week, provides
material enough for dozen novels like siAs in
= Looking glass" She was bsa utiful girl. and
in her trunk were found every letter she had
ever received, numbering 1000. 1t was impossi--
BILE to tell how many persons have already seen
them. or how many handfuls OF them are now
circulating in the circles to which the people Of
the newspapers. coroners and police save ac-
cess. The letters tell queer story of human
nature. It appears from them that the girl
Nellie Coo was the daughter Of farmer in
northern New Jersey, and that from comforts
the family was reduced to misfortune, appar~-
emily after the death of the father A mother
and two sisters were left, and though none OF
these women were able TO write, except with
painful mechanical pen-strokes, they CORES
ponded freely. Nellie came to town. and became
sentimental EXPERT She gave to her acquains~.
Wall street. So she was, but her speculations
were il hearts, not stocks She worked indus
triously as a fascinating borrower.
The letters sent to her by the male friends she
had acquired in town q revelation. But that
any one may for himself the facts ia the
case, it would not be believed that in this city
and in this eentury-after the warnings in every
novel and newspaper against letter writing and
against the betrayal Of ones identity IN compro-
missing connections-there would be found so
many men who would put themselves complete<
~ in an adysnturess's power her dupes did.
There the official letter heads of the railways,
municipal officials and great mercantile houses
by which these wooers were employed, and
their names are often signed in full, their home
affairs described at length, and their residence
address set down. Young men write earnestly
and yet nearly all betray in the same letters q
vague fear that they are being imposed upon.
81 hope you are telling me the TRUTH is q frs-
quent phrase. "Whenever call without hrst
sending you word. you sure to be out; }
sometimes think you are not honest with ma,
said one. ''Your shades were down again. no
did not call, says another. "But 1t seems 20 ne
they are down most OF the time. In the same
letter these smpletons send various sums OK
money. 81 am only able to send you five dol
lars" says one; eff that storekeeDer presses
Won, tell him you will have money bv next
Thursday, for / will surely get yon some by
then. have not told you half the trouble-the
hole am in. But soon both of MS will be in
better circumstsncean Money rained in on her
in these letters and how she spent 1t is told by,
her death from alcoholism. and by her sending
odd presents and sums to her friends in her old
village home.
At times she must have been Turing sirrulta-
neously many men into courtship and possibls
matrimony: At the very yla1 ihsrs was - o.
had. and he Was amazed at the cause of her,
death and the revelations OF her correspoudecce.
For years other men had looked to her as q con-
hdante.a a friend and a sympathetic companion. to
whom they could boast of their successes in .
business or carry their confessions of rebuffs.
misfortunes errors and repininRs. Many were
not blind to the way in which she deceived thems
TO picture the case not as bad on her side a.
they felt it must be. for she must have been
able to clear up in her presence the doubts that
assailed them when she disappointed them,. or
they reflected on the evidence they saw of he's
treachery. In al probability there was no one
else who pretended to sympafhize with and feel
. fondness for them. That she was not wholly
mercenary aud heartIees is shown by her nof
having attempted to blackmail them. She waa
simply . good -natursd. selfish. beautiful animals
looking out for the comfort of the moment, and
never boarding or plotting against her future.
Altogether there have not been many sucN
thorough exposures of tho adventurously sentis
mental side of life as this girls death hal
brought about CLARA BELLE.